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In this epsode recorded for Alchemical Dialogues, Henry Cretella inteviews Joel about the arts, and how they are instrumental in creating change within ourselves and in the world. The relationship of inner and outer reflects a unity in the mystical experience. Henry and Joel talk about a particular immersion in poetry, and for Joel, this art form is an expression of humanity’s mystical longing. Joel also explores other avenues of change through his podcasts on Unraveling Religion, his commitment to revisioning our conception of mental health issues and treatment, his spiritual practices, and reflecting on his own personal journey. Join us and dive into the change that we all long to embody. This same talk is posted on Alchmical Dialogues from Amber Light International. Link for Alchemical Dialogues: https://www.amberlightinternational.org/podcast/ Alchemical Dialogues are live and unscripted conversations recorded on Zoom brought to you by the great folks of Amber Light International. We choose topics from our current social and cultural climate, with an emphasis on humanism and spirituality.
Bio on Alchemical Dialogues: Joel David Lesses crafts poems about the landscape of our mind and life, capturing the mystical and spiritual elements of being human. He explores our humanness and resilience in the face of true suffering, overcoming these with the transformative power of self-inquiry, introspection, contemplative, and meditative practices. Joel grounds our human experience and spiritual realms in poetry. He has lived in Nepal and Israel, and now resides in Western New York. Joel was previously voted ‘Buffalo’s Best Poet’, founded WNY’s ‘Ground and Sky Poetry Series’, and created the podcast Unraveling Religion, which explores world mysticism and spirituality. His autobiography, Odyssey of Autumn’s Breath, is in-progress, and combines much of his life’s poetry with prose. -
In the second half of this two part conversation recorded, the panelist delve deeper into spirituality and practices with anticdotes, lessons, tips, and stories. Topics covered and included are Materialism and science and spirituality, relationships and consumerism, how does 'Service' relate to spirituality, healing and trusted loving relationships as spirituality, wonder and rest as spiritual practices, breath pratices connecting body mind and heart, and what role does the human body play in intelligent spirituality?
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Manglende episoder?
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In this dynamic and unique discussion, Unraveling Religion brings together five former guests of the show: Chris, Henry, Rich, Sara and Bettie. Together with Joel, the panel explores the fundamentals of spirituality including what it is, what means, its potentials, and practices. Lively, invigorating, and warm - our discussion centered around exploring definitions, meaning and difference, perspective, and awareness. Topics covered were enlightenment versus separate self, spiritual experiences, connection and relationship, being at home in the world. Process? Change? Spirituality as life, with a Creation story. What role does suffering and healing play in spirituality?
Biographies of the panel:
Chris Barbera's biography includes currently 3 areas of spiritual life and work: working with and in relationship with the Network of Religious Communities, an interfaith human rights project; Chirs also directs a prison theology writing program with inmates and faith communities; and writes, meditates and supports his local community.
Henry Cretella is a retired psychiatrist, active spiritual guide, and teacher. He studied Sufism becoming a senior teacher before deciding to pursue his interests independent of any organization. He has co-founded Amber Light International, revolving around mysticism and humanism. He hosts his own podcast, Alchemical Dialogues, through Amber Light.
Richard Grego is professor of philosophy and cultural history at Florida State College at Jacksonville. His research interests focus on comparative and cross-cultural philosophy of religion and science, metaphysics and philosophy of mind, the philosophical implications of theoretical physics and scientific cosmology, and history of World Civilizations. His recent books-publications include: Sensual Austerity and Moral Leadership: Plato, Confucius, and Gandhi on Building a Peaceful Society.
Sara Hughes (she/they) is a Relationship Artist who seeks to live in right relationship to all in the Web of Life. Sara's relational work has been primarily focused on improving conditions for young people in the unceded Seneca/Haudenosaunee region of the land currently known as Rochester, NY. More information may be found at https://mama-sara-says.com
Bettie Scullin's previous life activities included working in accounting and quality management in the steel, high tech and food industries. Retired and living in Florida she offers Akashic records consultations and classes, devotes time to spiritual practices and meditations, writes poetry and enjoys participating in her grandsons’ lives. -
In this talk, Bill and Joel cover the terrain of poetry, storytelling, and questions: 'What does silence teach?' 'What is the ego, what is Self?' 'What of service in our world?' Bill and Joel reference Before Your Quiet Eyes the local Rochester Bookstore for many local literary events, and where Joel and Bill met. In this engaging and dynamic conversation, poetry is shared and discussed and Bill reveals Coyote's enlightment, and tales, poems, teachings, and lessons from his books: 'Hands, No Hands' and 'The Binding Dance.'
William Pruitt has been a construction laborer, reference librarian, hospital courier, loading dock receiver, manager in a natural foods collective, assistant editor for Narrative Magazine and for 26 years, teacher of English as a Second Language He is a writer of poetry and narrative fiction as well as a storyteller. His poems and stories have been published in numerous journals and anthologies such as Ploughshares, Country Journal, Otis Nebula, Crack of the Spine Literary Magazine, Midway, Adelaide Literary Magazine, Hypertext, Cottonwood and Finding the Way Home: Poems of Awakening and Transformation (White Pine press). He has two chapbooks from White Pine and FootHills presses, the self-published full-length book of poems Walking Home from the Eastman House, and most recently, The Binding Dance, from Cyberwit.net. Additionally, he has taught storytelling and performed traditional and original tales at hundreds of libraries, schools, art galleries, science centers and other institutions including the National Women’s Hall of Fame in Seneca Falls, New York. He and his wife Pam live in Rochester New York, and have a daughter, Cedar, a son, Elliott, and two grandchildren.
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In this walk and spontanous talk through a local neighborhood and nearby meadow in Rochester, NY, Henry and Joel discuss Henry's path and development in spirituality, syncretism, Indiginous teachings, studying shamanism, forces in Nature, Tibetan Buddhism, Sufism, and what called him to his path. While walking, rustling leaves, Henry and Joel explore synchronicities, his guides and teachers, lessons, and opening to deepening his human experience, beyond his life as a successful Psychiatrist. Also talked about were the development of Amber Light International and Alchemical Dialogues and the classes and impact they offer, how to manifest through study of desire, wish, and will, connecting to community and the connection to the Universal practices found in Sufism, including life's teachings and lessons personal to Henry. As a lifelong student of humanism and seeking the freedom many traditions and paths of spirituality offer, Henry and Joel explore the universal aspects of the different paths in our shared human experience.
Henry Cretella is a retired psychiatrist and an active spiritual guide and teacher. In addition to a traditional psychiatric practice, he also trained with James Gordon, M.D. in mind-body medicine and incorporated this into his psychiatric teaching. He spent close to 20 years intensively studying and teaching in the universal sufi tradition of the Indian mystic, Inayt Khan, becoming a senior teacher before deciding to pursue his interestsindependent of any organization. Henry feels it is important now to inte
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In this fascinating episode with Sara Hughes and Joel, the conversation examines the activism surrounding ‘relationship’ in our human experience within the Web of Life. Sara's work has focused on transforming relationships with young people, and ways of doing so including Eco-farms, intentional communities, 'unlearning' habits of cultural norms, to create a safe world for all. The terrain dialogue looks at the evolution and calling of Sara to this work, how it came to be, as well as the philosophical and spiritual influence in Sara's maturation as an activist. Also, how to learn from animistic cultures and indigenous people the ways of reciprocal relationship and walking the Earth respectfully. Organizations mentioned in this talk: https://soulfirefarm.org https://pachamama.org https://designingasociety.org
Sara Hughes (she/they) is a Relationship Artist who seeks to live in right relationship to all in the Web of Life. Sara's relational work has been primarily focused on improving conditions for young people in the unceded Seneca/Haudenosaunee region of the land currently known as Rochester, NY. More information may be found at https://mama-sara-says.com
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In this episode Bettie Scullin joins Joel to discuss the Akashic Record. The Akashic Records is a non-physical compendium of all universal events, thoughts, words, emotions and intent ever to have occurred in the past, present, or future in terms of all entities and life. Bettie has spent decades cultivating a sensitivity to accessing these records for the benefit of people. Bettie and Joel discuss the aspects of the mystical path and mental health, reincarnation, living on the edge or threshold of psychological health, and how to cultivate stability using the Akashic Record. Prayer, messages, and intuition as a form of communication (two-way) were examined, as well as meditation and nature as a means of health for people.
The Akashic Records are a field of energy through which we can access divine messages, that may include past lives and/or ancestral memories. The record keepers are the illuminated souls who guide and teach us when we access this field. The work is on the vibratory level and is done in the highest good for all concerned.
Bettie’s life picture includes many ordinary aspects such as working as an accountant and project manager in the steel, food and high tech industries; raising a child and now fulfilling the role also as grandmother. Her life is also dotted with extraordinary experiences with unseen beings. Illuminated souls who guide and support and, at times, protect her. Attending to the business of making a life took her attention away from that connection with the unseen world until she was in her late twenties. Since then she has worked to deepen her connection and to use that connection toward her own souls evolution and to serve others. Her path eventually led her to the akashic records and she now offers individual and group consultations and facilitates classes to teach others how to access their records. She may be reached at akashicwings [at] gmail.com -
In this dialogue, Rich and Joel seek to understand awakening, awareness, and enlightenment in relation to identity. Rich and Joel discuss congruence and authencity in relation to our human experience, and the distractions from living a genuine life. Krishnamurti and Tolstoy, Ghandi and Confucius, Rumi and Rilke are called on to aid us in examining these questions. "Is there spiritual redemption" - how do we know and how do we find it? In religion and spirituality what is the difference between belief and experience? How is expectation a barrier to living a genuine life? What is intrinsic to all of us?
Richard Grego is a Philosopher and Historian at Florida State College. His research areas include comparative cosmologies in religion and science, metaphysics and consciousness, and cultural history. His recent publications include studies of environmental thought in the history of American philosophy in “History of Intellectual Culture”, Gandhi’s ethics and Vedanta philosophy in “Gandhi And The World”, Sri Aurobinda’s metaphysics of consciousness in “The Philosophy of Sri Aurobindo” , Abraham Maslows psychology of science and modern scientism in the ‘International Journal of Transpersonal Studies’ (forthcoming) and a forthcoming book (co-authored with Aurobinda Mahapatra)on how conceptions of the mind-body relationship influenced classical political philosophies across cultures.
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Sister Grace says 'we all have a story to tell,' in this conversation Joel and Sister Grace explore the mystical application to homelessness, hope, faith, and belief in one another. Regarding Sister Grace, whether at war protests, in advocacy for the homeless, or through initiatives to ensure proper burials for the poor, Sister Miller brought her advocacy work to Rochester a little more than three decades ago when she opened the doors to the homeless shelter House of Mercy. Sister Grace Miller could see that homelessness was a big problem in Rochester, NY, and there simply weren’t enough shelters to meet the need. Sister Grace went to work, and with help from the Sisters of Mercy, she opened a shelter in a small house on Central Park just north of downtown Rochester. This is a conversation about how that happened. Link to House of Mercy http://houseofmercyrochester.org/ and the link to her book, Amazing Grace click here for link to Sister Grace's book
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In this brief talk, Joel describes the origins and purpose of Unraveling Religion, reviewing some of the guests and giving an overall flavor of what Unraveling Religion examines through its conversations.
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Vicki and Joel discuss her evolution in spirituality and as an activist, including the struggles of many different people and populations, the power of indiginous life-ways and the importance of connection to Nature and humility, the prison system and war and restricting pipeline access by Water Protectors. In Vicki's path as an activist, her upbringing and family influences were explored, Martin Luther King, Jr. and other examples and literature, conversations that influenced her and her deep principles rooted in Spirit.
Victoria Ross is Executive Director of the WNY Peace Center since August 2015, and Consultant to the Interfaith Peace Network of WNY, is a social worker and peace activist. Through community building efforts, Vicki helps to #UnitetheStruggles. Through the WNYPC, she organized all the Women’s Marches in Buffalo (the first two both record-breaking rallies), and all conducive to more collaboration and unity in Buffalo and Western New York. Vicki calls out violence wherever it is: including especially state-sponsored, state-permitted, and/or state-excused violence. She emphasizes principles and the Spirit as what we need for radical changes locally, nationally, and internationally - the principles and Spirit of Unarmed Truth and Unconditional Love. (Peace Center link: https://wnypeace.org/wp/)
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Henry Cretella, M.D, host of the humanistic and spiritual podcast Alchemical Dialogues, talks with Joel Lesses, host of Unraveling Religion in a far-reaching and engrossing conversation about spirituality and poetry. Listen to Henry and Joel discuss the meaning of identity and paradigm, mysticism, and ‘who am I’ as a resolution to the existential question of life. With an emphasis on the sacred, mundane, and profane, Henry and Joel take a deep dive into what poetry is in relation to authenticity and genuineness. This talk is also on Alchemical Dialogues under 'Spirituality and Poetry: Beyond the Edge.'
Alchemical Dialogues are live and unscripted conversations recorded on Zoom by Amber Light International. They choose topics from our current social and cultural climate, with an emphasis on humanism and spirituality. Subscribe to Alchemical Dialogues on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Play, or search for us in your favorite podcast app.
Joel David Lesses' background is in psychology and counseling with other passions including the intersection of poetry, spirituality, science and phenomenology shared and disparate in the human experience, and transformative power of self inquiry and introspection through contemplative and meditative practices. Joel was nominated by Artvoice in 2013 and 2014 Buffalo's Best Poet and won the honor in 2014, he has been published in various magazines and publications, founded Ground and Sky Poetry Series, facilitated numerous poetry workshops.
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In 2015, in the wide expanse of spiritual and emotional terrain, before his passing in 2018, Maj Ragain, northeast Ohio's poetic fixture and teacher sits with Joel to talk of spirituality and mentorship, sharing poems, talking of tenderness and eroticism and the flux of life, 'all rivers run to the sea.' Maj Ragain was born into a small, southeastern Illinois farm town. Home-tutored and raised on Vernor Lake, he earned a BA in English at Eastern Illinois University, and an MA in English at the University of Illinois. He has been on faculty, off and on, at Kent State University since 1969, where he obtained his PhD in 1990. He is the author of seven chapbooks of poetry and five book-length collections, all of which contribute to Clouds Pile Up in the North: New & Selected Poems. Maj had served for more than thirty years as host to open poetry readings in Kent, monthly, downtown, mentoring hundreds of poets through the years.
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In this talk from 2017, Wadud and Joel explore what is beyond psychology from a religious, mystical, and spiritual perspective in dreams; also, the relation of Freud, Jung, and Sufism and what dreams teach, symbols, where does meaning stop, archetypes, the unconscious, "accidents," "symptoms/neurosis" and the balance of our actions as tipping scales to what is good. About Henry Cretella, M.D: he has had a professional career spanning over 40 years along with his spiritual and especially mystical interests. Henry Cretella, M.D and Kathleen FitzPatrick, LCSW co-direct Amber Light International, a non-profit educational/spiritual group. Through it, they offer spiritual guidance, individual and group retreats, workshops, intensive book studies, celebrations and other related experiences. Under the aegis of Amber Light, Alchemical Dialogues (link https://www.amberlightinternational.org/podcast/) are live and unscripted conversations recorded on Zoom, with topics from our current social and cultural climate, with an emphasis on humanism and spirituality.
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During 2015 Joel spent two months in Nepal and spoke with the NGO Tevel B'Tzedek's Founder Micha Odenheimer about Judaism, globalization, poverty, and the Prophets of the Bible. Tevel's mission is to form education and bonds in rural communities of developing nations, to enrich communities through sharing and knowlege education and resources. This talk centers on Judaism's rich tradition of supporting 'the widow orphan and stranger' and the validities of the worlds other religous traditions, working together to improve the quality of life for all people. About Rabbi Micha Odenheimer: 'Born in 1958 in Berkeley California, Micha Odenheimer has been a writer, journalist, Jewish teacher and social activist in Israel since making aliyah 31 years ago. Micha’s life and interests include fields rarely seen in combination. As a rabbi he has written dozens of essays on Judaism the Torah, and social justice, and has reported on trends in Judaism and the Jewish world. Micha has a special interest in Jewish mysticism and Hasidism.'
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'Crazy…or wise? The traditional wisdom of indigenous cultures often contradicts modern views about a mental health crisis. Is it a ‘calling’ to grow or just a ‘broken brain’? The documentary CRAZYWISE explores what can be learned from people around the world who have turned their psychological crisis into a positive transformative experience.' Exploring alternatives to psychosis, from 2014 as Crazywise was nearing completion, Phil and Joel talk of spirituality, shamanism and healing Phil and Joel talk about the gifted (i.e., those who exhibit Shamanic potentic through hearing voices and visions) and their relation to mental health distress, our Western cultures treatment, and the traditional or indiginous view of these markers as a sensitivity and gift. Phil Borges, has been documenting indigenous cultures and striving to create an understanding of the challenges they face. Phil has spoken at multiple TED talks; including TED in 2007, TEDxRainier in 2012 and TEDxUMKC in 2013 and hosted television documentaries for Discovery and National Geographic.
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In this special episode of Unraveling Religion, Joel travels to Toronto to meet Dr. Abuelaish and together engage in a Sacred conversation regarding life, understanding, and reaching beyond tolerance into respect and love for our human differences found in countries, religions, cultures, and people. As a medical doctor and healer, Dr. Abuelaish's life is a tireless effort to broaden our human understanding that the differences between people are much smaller than the similarity. Joel and Dr. Abuelaish find common ground in exploring ethics and respect in common understanding, found in all the world's spiritual traditions and all faiths including Islam, Judaism, and Christianity revealed in this episode. His book is entitled, "I Shall Not Hate."
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Two friends find meaning in discussing life and reveal kindness as the lasting binding element; is it Plato or Aristotle? It is only how we define love that matters, because only love endures forever. Richard Wicka shares Sartre's "The Wall" Joel Lesses shares a Chasidic Tale "The Rabbi's Gift" each finds newness in understanding because this evening we were not alone, we shared an evening walk.
Richard Wicka is a Buffalo, N.Y.-based media artist and photographer and the proprietor of "The Home of the Future,"a media access center and production/recording studio based in his Kaisertown home. Wicka has been providing a forum for artists in all media, activists, and everyday citizens of his Western New York community since the mid-1970s. He provides interested parties with technical support, studio time, and production tools free of charge, encouraging them to express themselves in ways that mainstream culture has not historically sanctioned. With the advent of internet radio came ThinkTwice Radio in 2006, offering podcasts to anyone with a subject to discuss and the commitment to produce a regular show.
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In this continuation of the three part show, Joel and Lisa talk more about identity and examine it through the psychological lens, relationship as a model of teaching, repressed memories; poetry begins to emerge in this second segment, existential psychology and mental health distress are examined. What do we attach or connect to in the world. Is the world physical spiritual or both? What does it mean to be a 'good father.' Past lives and poetry intertwine. What are we as human beings 'holding together' and what does it mean when we fall apart?
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